Haldwani, Dec 17 (ANI): Tomato farmers in Uttarakhand's Haldwani District were unhappy as in spite of a bumper crop, they failed to earn even the production cost for their produce, leading to the rotting of huge quantities of tomatoes.
The tomato growers have no choice, but to let tomatoes rot in the farms as there are no takers for the crop and even if they find buyers, it is being sold at dirt-cheap price due to which they are unable to earn even the production costs.
The farmers have to sell tomatoes for as low as one to two rupees per kilogram.
Chandan Singh Latwal, a tomato grower, said the situation has worsened since last year when the farmers were able to reap profit as they exported tomato to neighbouring Pakistan.
"Till last year, the tomatoes used to be supplied to Pakistan and so the situation of the farmers was comparatively better and they used to earn 20-22 rupees here itself. With this in mind, the farmers took to tomato farming and even small farmers began tomato farming. But right now the situation is so bad and there is such rotting of tomatoes and nobody is there to question that. If it would have been exported then the situation of the farmers would have been better," he said.
The traders in the wholesale market of the district rued about the grim situation facing them and the farmers alike.
"This time there has been bumper production of tomatoes, but we are unable to get the rates accordingly. The farmers are not even able to earn the production cost. Tomatoes are either being dumped or are rotting in the farms. It is being sold at only rupees 30 to 40 per crate. The condition is very bad and the rates are very low. In this situation the traders and the farmers are unable to make the ends meet," said Suresh Joshi, tomato trader.
Around 20, 000 quintal tomatoes are arriving in the wholesale market every day.
Both the farmers and the traders hope that the state government would help them and subsidise its transportation to other states or sell them overseas. (ANI)
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